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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rule — government
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. face — to confront
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — to shout
  19. march — music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rule — a law
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com